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Kickoff '12: Watsonville Wildcatz preview

One week into practice, first-year football coach John Montante said his staff had installed about 90 to 95 percent of their offensive and defensive systems. That might not be what you'd expect out of a coach still likely meeting and greeting new players.

But ever since he first began coaching as an assistant in 2000 at Monterey High, Montante has learned that if you can't teach players a system in a matter of days, you're probably teaching them too much.

"Install your offense, let the kids get good at it and just play," said Montante, who previously coached at Marina High and more recently Foster High in Washington. "I'm really pleased with the amount of learning and what we've been able to accomplish as a team."

Montante takes over the program after Tom Sullivan stepped down in February after six seasons. And similarly to Sullivan, Montante's Wildcatz will run a spread-option offense [Watsonville ran a pistol last season]. Defensively, they'll implement a 4-2-5.

Although without the services of all-MBL selections Lamar Cowans and Fabian Serrano, who anchored the offense a year ago, Watsonville returns about 12 players from last year's team, including Eddie Mares and Roger Contreras.

Mares will be the Wildcatz's quarterback, showcasing speed out of the option as well as a strong right arm, while Contreras has displayed explosiveness despite a small frame [5-foot-6, 165 pounds].

"He's a good athlete, but in a different way than Cowans," Montante said. "Eddie doesn't have that breakaway speed, but he's a power runner."

"He has the tools that could make him successful in this offense," he later added.

Up front will be returning linemen Chris Borba [5-9, 285] and Sergio Melendrez [5-9, 215], an honorable mention selection in the MBL last season. Out wide is George Ruiz III, who also received honorable mention at receiver, while Michael Barcelo will occupy the fullback's role, as well as linebacker.

-- Andrew Matheson

Montante has already started to stress continuity throughout his program, where each level -- varsity, junior varsity and freshmen -- will learn the same system, understand the same schemes. When JV players are called up to the varsity in-season, or even next year when players tryout for the varsity team, the learning curve is lessened.

"When players come up and they get to the varsity level, it's not foreign to them," Montante said. "They'll understand what we're doing will be confident in their abilities."

-- Andrew Matheson

2011-12 ENROLLMENT: 2,006

SENTINEL POWER POLL: No. 10

COACH: John Montante [first season]

2011 RECORD: 2-8, 1-5 MBL [sixth]

TALE OF 2011: The Wildcatz bookended their season with victories. But in between, the team struggled to find the end zone consistently and lost eight straight games.

LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 2009

LAST POSTSEASON APPEARANCE: 2009

OFFENSE: Spread option [coordinator John Montante]

DEFENSE: 4-2-5 [coordinator Mikey Carmona]

'Install your offense, let the kids get good at it and just play.'

JOHN MONTANTE, Wildcatz coach

KEY RETURNERS

NAME POS. HT./WT. YR.

Chris Borba C/DL 5-9/285 Sr.

Eddie Mares QB 5-10/190 Sr.

Roger Contreras RB 5-6/165 Sr.

Michael Barcelo LB/FB 5-10/190 Sr.

George Ruiz III WR/FS 5-10/170 Sr.

Sergio Melendrez OL/DL 5-9/215 Sr.

KEY NEWCOMERS

NAME POS. HT./WT. YR.

Isaac Lopez WR/LB 5-9/165 Jr.

Oscar Gonzalez WR/S 5-10/170 So.

Alex Azevedo RB/LB 5-11/180 Jr.

2012 SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT TIME

Sept. 7 at Santa Cruz 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Aptos 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21 vs. San Lorenzo Valley 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 vs. Alisal* 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 at North Monterey County* 2 p.m.

Oct. 12 vs. North Salinas* 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 vs. Fresno Christian [Fresno] 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Monte Vista Christian* 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 2 vs. Seaside* 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 10 vs. Pajaro Valley* [at Aptos] 7:30 p.m.

*MBL game

CAN'T-MISS GAME

NOV. 10: WATSONVILLE VS. P.V.,

AT APTOS, 7:30 p.m.

Although it needed a last-minute interception to hold off P.V. a year ago, Watsonville has yet to lose to the Grizzlies in the annual Belgard Kup game, which was first played in 2006.